S. Con. Res. 91 Agreed to December 6, 2006

One Hundred Ninth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the third day of January, two thousand and six

Concurrent Resolution

Whereas Satchel Paige, who was born on July 7, 1906, in Mobile,

Alabama, lived a life that was marked by his outstanding contributions to the game of baseball;

Whereas Satchel Paige was a dominating pitcher whose baseball

career spanned several decades, from 1927 to 1965;

Whereas Satchel Paige played in the Negro Leagues and became

famous for his unusual pitching style and his ability to strike

out almost any player he faced;

Whereas Satchel Paige pitched 62 consecutive scoreless innings

in 1933;

Whereas due to the practice of segregation in baseball, Satchel

Paige was prohibited for many years from playing baseball at

the major league level;

Whereas Satchel Paige played for many Negro League teams,

including—

(1) the Chattanooga Black Lookouts;

(2) the Birmingham Black Barons;

(3) the Nashville Elite Giants;

(4) the Mobile Tigers;

(5) the Pittsburgh Crawfords; and

(6) the Kansas City Monarchs;

Whereas while pitching for the Kansas City Monarchs, Satchel

Paige won 4 consecutive league pennants from 1939 to 1942,

and later won a 5th pennant in 1946 with that team;

Whereas after the desegregation of baseball, Satchel Paige signed

a contract to pitch for the Cleveland Indians at age 42, and

soon thereafter became the oldest rookie ever to play baseball

at the major league level;

Whereas the extraordinary pitching of Satchel Paige helped the

Cleveland Indians complete a championship season in 1948, as

the team won the American League Championship and the World

Series;

Whereas Satchel Paige threw an estimated 300 career shutouts;

Whereas in 1971, Satchel Paige became the first Negro League

player to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of

Fame;

Whereas the legendary pitching of Satchel Paige earned him

numerous awards and accolades, including—

(1) a nomination to the All Century Team by Major League

Baseball as 1 of the greatest players of the 20th century; and

(2) a selection to the 50 Legends of Baseball by the Postal

Service;
S. Con. Res. 91—2

Whereas despite years of discrimination that limited the play of

Satchel Paige to the Negro Leagues, his prowess on the pitching

mound earned him the respect and admiration of fans and players

throughout the world of baseball;

Whereas Satchel Paige passed away on June 8, 1982; and

Whereas the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian

honor in the United States, was established in 1945 to recognize

citizens of the United States who have made exceptional contributions to— (1) the security or national interests of the United States;

(2) world peace;

(3) the culture of the United States or the world; or

(4) the citizens of the United States or the world: Now,

therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the President should

award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Leroy

‘‘Satchel’’ Paige in honor of his distinguished baseball career and

the contributions that he has made to the improvement of the

society of the United States and the world.

Attest:

Secretary of the Senate.

Attest:

Clerk of the House of Representatives.